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{season} highlights Acknowledging our history
For the past 75 years, audiences have discovered the exhilaration of a shared musical experience and witnessed unique beauty unfold on stage as hundreds of musicians have performed with passion and pride. With over 3,000 Concerts, 1,400 Guest Artists and Conductors and 9 Music Directors, the VS has become one of the premier orchestras in Canada. This celebratory 75th Anniversary Season was designed to be a salute to our history and a look forward into the bright future of our continually evolving organization. The 75th Anniversary season began with a nod to the past as the VS shared the stage with the Naden Band. In the early 1940s, 23 of the 45 members of the early Victoria Symphony were also member of the Naden Band- It was only fitting that the two reunite to kick off this triumphant season! As the season continued, the VS invited youth from the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra onstage to perform Mussorgsky. Local talent was featured, including popular local solosits Richard Margison, Lorraine Min, Gary Karr, continuing the longstanding VS tradition of celebrating the rich diversity of talent found within the community. These special performances showcased the evolving artistic excellence of the VS and epitomized the 75th Anniversary tagline- we’re just getting warmed up.
Touring
For the first time in our 75 year history, the Victoria Symphony embarked on a tour of Ontario and Quebec. Sponsored by Wayne Strandlund and Fisgard Capital Corporation, this 10-day journey allowed the nation to hear the “greater levels of musicianship” (Globe and Mail) achieved under Music Director Tania Miller’s tenure. Joined by pianist Stewart Goodyear, the VS performed in Duncan, Quebec City, Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver before a triumphant return home. Audiences were in awe of the “verve and passion and volcanic energy” (Ottawa Citizen) of the orchestra, and leapt to their feet in a standing ovation at each city. The performance in Toronto was a particular triumph. As Tania Miller wrote in the Times Colonist, “the orchestra performed the most beautiful Copland Appalachian Spring I’ve heard them play, and crowned it all with a truly triumphant Stravinsky Firebird Suite. The audience roared and screamed (well, some of them were from Victoria, it is true) and rose to their feet for our Victoria Symphony. It was an experience that we will always remember and be proud of.” The tour proved to the country that the Victoria Symphony is a rich and extraordinarily talented organization, and can hold its own in the best theatres across the country.
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